Bake Off's Mary Berry shocks with pro-euthanasia views

MARY Berry has waded into the euthanasia row by saying she would "love" it if her children could end her life with a pill should her health deteriorate.

Mary said, should ill health strike, she'd 'love' for her family to end her life with a tablet [RADIO TIMES]

The Great British Bake Off star, 79, came out in support of legalising assisted suicide by revealing she did not want to become a "burden" in old age.

And unlike her mother who lived to the age of 105, Berry said she did not want to become a centenarian, although another 11 years of life would be a "good innings".

Grandmother-of-five Berry said: "I don't think very old age, if you haven't got your marbles, can be very nice.

"I certainly don't want to be a burden, although under British law you can do nothing about it.

"But I would love my children to be able to give me a pill, although of course I do understand that could be abused."

She went on: "My mother was in very good health until the last few months. And health is key, isn't it?

"I have no desire to be a centenarian, I think 90 is a great time. You've had a good innings. "

Under current laws, the food writer's two children Thomas and Annabel - her other son William died in a car crash aged 19 - would risk prosecution if they helped her to end her life.

My great privilege is that I can say 'no' to things, so I only do what I love. And I really do love Bake Off - they're my other family

Mary Berry

Mary, who has been married to husband Paul for nearly 50 years, has no plans to go anywhere just yet and says she is "totally happy" presenting the hit BBC baking show alongside Paul Hollywood.

She told the Radio Times: "I have no remaining ambitions. I want to continue to be a good granny and a good wife.

"My great privilege is that I can say 'no' to things, so I only do what I love. And I really do love Bake Off - they're my other family."

In her upcoming appearance in BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? Mary discovers she is not the first master baker in the family.

Her great-great-grandfather Robert owned his own bakery in 19th Century Norwich and, as a sideline, he also made bread for prostitutes and criminals in the local prison and workhouse.

"The prison bread had the very poorest ingredients because it had to be cheap. It wasn't uncommon to add ground-up animal bones to spin it out, although as far as I know he didn't," said Berry.

"But it was a tremendous amount of work. There were three of them in the bakery, Robert and his wife and another worker, all churning out bread in the most awful conditions. They seemed to work all day and all night to achieve rather little."